6 Amazing Video Games Almost Destroyed By Terrible Mechanics

Realism in games is a funny old thing. If gamers wanted real life they’d leave their mum’s basement, clean the crust of dorito shards and mountain dew from their bodies and venture, pasty and blinking, into the harsh sunlight of the real world.

However, too little realism and we’re left with no way to dive into a believable, immersive world. Drawing the line is difficult, but all things considered, The Witcher 3 did a fantastic job.

With than in mind however, one area that strays just a bit too close to irritatingly real rather than fun is the weapon degradation system. It does nothing other than provide an infuriating halt to the flow of the narrative and gameplay to have to take a time out from what you want to be doing to head to a town and stump up an insane amount of cash to have your weapons and armour repaired.

Weapon degradation is obnoxious in any game, and even the otherwise excellent Zelda: Breath of the Wild fell into the same trap. It’s a mechanic that blights two of the best video games in the history of the medium, and pretty much every other game it touches.